Georgia Bulldogs QB Jamie Newman -- one of the top-ranked QBs in the country -- is opting out of the 2020 college football season ... just 3 weeks before the season opener.
6'4", 230-pound Newman -- a graduate transfer from Wake Forest -- was touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate going into the 2020 season after balling out at WF over the past 2 seasons.
In 2019, he threw for 2,868 yards, 26 TDs and 11 INTs -- while rushing for 574 yards and 6 TDs.
But, with all the drama surrounding COVID, Newman announced Wednesday on social media that he's opting out ... without ever taking a single snap for the Bulldogs.
"With much prayer and discussion with my family I would like to announce that due to the uncertainties of this year amid a global pandemic I will officially opt-out of this football season to prepare for the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft."
Don't worry ... Newman will be fine and so will Georgia -- which has a pretty solid backup plan.
Ex-USC quarterback JT Daniels transferred to Georgia back in May and was granted permission to play in the 2020 season.
So, the presumed plan is plug in Daniels -- who can flat-out ball.
Georgia is scheduled to take on Arkansas on Sept. 26. An interesting twist just weeks before kickoff.
1:36 PM PT -- Cousins is attempting to clarify what he meant by his comments ... saying while he's not personally afraid of the virus, it's still important to practice the proper protocols to avoid spreading it.
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Minnesota Vikings
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"There's plenty of reasons to wear a mask, social distance and be very vigilant to help stop the spread of the virus," Cousins told the media on Wednesday.
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"That was the heart behind what I was trying to say in July. Admittedly, I didn't say it as clear as I would have liked to."
Minnesota Vikings star QB Kirk Cousins claims he ain't scared of coronavirus at all ... saying if it were up to him, he'd ditch masks and let nature straight-up just run its course.
"For me personally," Cousins says, "just talking no one else can get the virus, 'What is your concern if you could get it?' I would say I’m going to go about my daily life."
"You know, even if I die," the 2-time Pro Bowler added. "If I die, I die."
Cousins made his stance on the pandemic crystal clear to Kyle Brandt on the NFL Network star's "10 Questions With Kyle Brandt" podcast ... saying he wishes there was just a "survival of the fittest" approach to the whole thing.
"If I get it, I’m going to ride it out," 32-year-old Cousins says. "I’m going to let nature do its course ... And just say, if it knocks me out, it knocks me out. I’m going to be OK."
In fact, when Brandt asked Cousins, "If 1 is the person who says, ‘Masks are stupid, you’re all a bunch of lemmings’ and 10 is, ‘I’m not leaving my master bathroom for the next 10 years,’ where do you land?” ... Cousins said he'd be a ".000001."
But, don't get it twisted ... Kirk says he's still going to follow EVERY coronavirus protocol the NFL and the Vikings put in place -- simply because he respects others might have differing opinions from him on the matter.
So far, the Vikings have avoided any COVID catastrophes ... with no reported team breakouts yet.
However, several in the NFL have tested positive in recent months -- including head coaches Anthony Lynn, Sean Payton and Doug Pederson ... though all have since recovered fully.
NFL legend Jerome Bettis says Alvin Kamara should ABSOLUTELY hold out from Saints camp to get a contract extension ... saying the N.O. RB needs to get paid before it's too late.
Kamara had reportedly sat out a few days of camp already this summer over his unhappiness with his contract ... but he returned to practice this week even though he's yet to get a new deal.
Bettis, speaking on the "In My Bag" podcast Wednesday, says he believes that's a mistake ... adding Kamara should hold out to try to get the money he deserves ASAP!!!
"I think Alvin Kamara has put enough work in with that organization for them to know what he's capable of," Bettis says.
"So, I think definitely he needs to hold out because a running back only has a certain amount of carries in his body and once those carries get to that number, that's it."
25-year-old Kamara is still playing out his rookie contract ... which is scheduled to pay him just $2.1 million this season -- which is over $15 MILLION less than what top RBs like Christian McCaffrey and Ezekiel Elliott are set to make in 2020.
Kamara -- who piled up 1,330 total yards and 6 touchdowns last season despite injuries -- is reportedly seeking a new contract worth right around Zeke and McCaffrey's -- and Bettis clearly thinks the RB's worth that.
And, Bettis is advising Kamara to sit out to get it ... because he says if Kamara's not careful, the dude's big workload could begin to hurt him.
"It's not about years, it's about carries," Bettis says, "I think he has to be very conscious of that. And, yeah, if I was him, I probably would [hold out]."
Bettis, though, ain't urging ALL disgruntled RBs to sit out ... he actually thinks Vikings star Dalvin Cook should play out his rookie deal before he does anything drastic with his negotiation tactics.
Boxing superstar Ryan Garcia just caught the first L of his career ... and it wasn't at the hands of Tank Davis or Luke Campbell -- he got beat up by some TikTok stars!!!
Okay ... so, that's not true at all. BUT, the 22-year-old phenom *did* hit the gym with the uber-popular social media stars Dixie D'Amelio and Addison Rae on Wednesday ... and they all took part in the "Body Shot Challenge!!"
Of course, we've seen Garcia's viral trend in the past with guys like Logan and Jake Paul ... where they put on a body pad and take hits from the 20-0 fighter.
Only this time, Ryan put on the pads and let Dixie and Addison fire off some punches for a solid 6 seconds before begging for mercy!!
And, the Oscar goes to ...
Hey, we get it!! The video wouldn't be nearly as fun if Ryan didn't ham it up for the camera.
Fun fact: the trio has a combined 51.2 million followers on Instagram ... and 97.9 MILLION followers on TikTok.
Ya can't deny Dixie and Addison's skills, though -- both ladies can land a serious punch!!
Maybe they'll follow the Paul brothers' lead and be the next social media stars-turned-boxers??
Unprecedented Roberto Clemente honor coming up for the Pittsburgh Pirates ... team officials say they'll unretire the Hall of Famer's #21 so their players can wear it for Clemente Day next week.
The team says the tribute will go down when the Buccos take on the White Sox on Sept. 9 ... with each Pitt. player set to don Clemente's famous number for the game.
Afterward, Pirates officials say they'll auction off the unis ... with all proceeds going toward the Clemente Foundation and other Pirates charities.
Of course, it's a HUGE honor ... no one in the org. has worn the number for a Pirates game since Clemente tragically died in a plane crash back in 1972. He was only 38.
"Our staff and players are excited to wear the number 21 with pride as we constantly search for ways to not only honor Roberto's legacy but to keep his memory alive through our community actions," Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said.
"We recognize what this moment represents for all of us within the organization, the Clemente Family, our fans, and the people of Puerto Rico. We take great pride in representing such a great ambassador of the game."
The Pirates and MLB as a whole have honored Clemente every September since 2002 with Clemente Day ... with Pittsburgh doing different things every year to carry on RC's legacy.
Clemente was a 15-time All-Star and 2-time World Series champion with the Pirates ... and was also widely known for his tireless charity work.
The NBA just hit Marcus Morris with a $35,000 fine for that hard foul on Luka Doncic during Game 6 of the playoff series between the Clippers and Mavs.
Morris and Doncic had been going after each other for the entire series -- things were chippy -- but things came to a head in the 1st quarter of Game 6 when Marcus hit Luka in the face while Doncic was going up for a layup.
A scuffle ensued. The players had to be separated. Morris was ejected from the game.
Now, to make matters worse for Morris ... he's gotta come out of pocket to the tune of $35k for "recklessly striking" Doncic, according to the NBA.
"The amount of the fine was based in part on the fact that Morris has been disciplined on several prior occasions for physical altercations on the court," the NBA said.
Later in the game, a rattled Doncic lost his cool over a foul call -- and threw the ball at the feet of one of the refs.
Doncic argued that he didn't intend to hit the ref -- just bad luck.
The NBA has fined Doncic over that incident to the tune of $15,000.
The Clippers ended up winning the game and the clinching the series, sending Doncic and the Mavs out of the NBA Bubble.
The Clippers are now set to face the Denver Nuggets in the 2nd round of the playoffs -- that series kicks off Thursday.
Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers broadcaster Bill Hillgrove has been hit with a 2-game suspension over a wild DUI incident back in June.
The 80-year-old -- who's been calling Steelers games for 27 seasons -- allegedly crashed his Honda CR-V into a grocery store in Murrysville, PA around 5 PM on June 15.
Officials say Hillgrove smashed through 2 windows in the process -- but still went inside the store, got prescription medication and then returned to the vehicle, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Officials say Hillgrove left the scene and returned to his home -- where cops say he admitted to having "a couple of beers."
Officials say Hillgrove agreed to a breathalyzer and allegedly blew a whopping .16 -- twice the legal limit.
Hillgrove later told police the car "just got away from me."
He was charged with driving under the influence and he's due in court to be arraigned in October.
Steelers team president Art Rooney II told the Tribune, "He’s been a great part of the Steelers Sundays for a long time ... We’ll be happy to have him back."
9:18 AM PT -- Alex Bozarjian -- the victim of the butt slap -- spoke out about Callaway's guilty plea ... saying she's happy with the way things unfolded in court on Tuesday.
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"While I understand that this has probably disrupted his life more than he ever imagined," Bozarjian said, "Nobody has a right to touch anybody or slap anybody for their own amusement."
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After nine months I finally got some closure. I’d say this is where accountability meets forgiveness. Thank you to all of you who’ve supported me through this. Your body, your rules. We’re doing better in 2020. pic.twitter.com/XjzEDKUEuM
The runner who smacked a TV reporter on the butt during a race in Georgia last year just plead guilty to sexual battery ... and he'll now be on probation for the next year, TMZ Sports has learned.
Thomas Callaway was facing up to 1 year behind bars after he was arrested last December for slapping WSAV-TV's Alex Bozarjian while she was reporting live from the Enmarket Savannah Bridge Run.
Check out this jerk smacking a @WSAV reporter's ass live on air. And sorry, that's my kiddo making horribly timed weird noises in the background. pic.twitter.com/6tzi6P1Jbo
Video of the incident was alarming ... Bozarjian was speaking to the camera when Callaway ran up from behind and hit her hard. You can see in the footage, she was visibly stunned.
Bozarjian later admonished Callaway on Twitter, saying, "You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me" ... and, eventually, she went to law enforcement to press charges.
44-year-old Callaway was ultimately hit with a charge of sexual battery ... and court records show he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor count on Tuesday.
Per the records, Callaway was sentenced to 1 year of probation and also ordered to complete 200 hours of community service. Callaway was also hit with over $1,000 of fines and fees as well.
We've reached out to Callaway's attorney for comment, but so far, no word back yet.
Callaway -- reportedly a teen church youth minister and a Boy Scout leader -- had previously apologized for the incident ... saying on national TV days after the race, "There was a misjudge in character and decision making."
It may be the offseason for Ben Simmons, but the NBA superstar is getting right back into competition mode ... taking part in a HUGE Call of Duty tournament backed by FaZe Clan.
TMZ Sports has learned ... Simmons -- who recently invested in FaZe Clan -- is part of a celeb-packed lineup for the "Twitch Rivals: FaZe Face-Off Ft. Warzone" event going down on September 17.
Simmons -- AKA "FaZe Simmo" will join big names like Marshmello, Slim Jxmmi, Carnage, Lil Durk, Bulls star Zach LaVine and USWNT Allie Long in the Call of Duty competition, which is the first event from FaZe Clan's new series with the Twitch Rivals streaming service.
The competition will also feature FaZe Clan regulars like FaZe Apex, FaZe Rug, NICKMERCS, FaZe Temperrr, and FaZe SWAGG ... as well as a bunch of other well-known streamers.
The event will consist of up to 20 teams of 4 players ... who will compete for a prize pool of $75,000!
It's been a big year for FaZe Clan ... the org. just wrapped up tournament for the game Valorant -- which was viewed online more than 5.2 MILLION times!
Oh yeah, and Bronny James just joined the squad!!!
The tributes to Chadwick Boseman keep pouring in, and the latest honor for the late "Black Panther" star is all about education.
Walter Mayfield, principal at T. L. Hanna High School in South Carolina where the actor attended, tells TMZ ... they're forming the Chadwick Boseman Memorial Scholarship for a yearly honor to a deserving student.
Mayfield says the goal is to create a sustainable scholarship for years to come, and the school is aiming to raise $100k toward that end. The principal says a bunch of people have already reached out about contributing in Chadwick's honor -- without even publicizing the idea yet -- so they're off to a good start.
We're told the school is trying to work with Boseman's family on the plan -- Mayfield feels it's essential they be involved to help formulate criteria for the award.
Chadwick's former H.S. basketball coach, Wayne Jones, is pushing for the school to retire the number he used to wear -- 32 -- in his memory.
He tells us the cinematic superhero was an all-around solid player on the court who played 4 years on the varsity squad ... and could do a little bit of everything. T. L. Hanna has never retired a number before, but Principal Mayfield says this is the time to consider it.
If the Boseman scholarship gets up and running, it will be the second one in honor of a T. L. Hanna legend ... the first is James "Radio" Kennedy. His scholarship goes to a student pursuing a career in special ed.
Neymar-- one of the most famous athletes in the world -- has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 after a holiday in Ibiza.
Neymar's pro soccer club Paris Saint-Germain confirmed Wednesday that 3 members of the team tested positive -- but the organization did not release the names of the players.
However, media outlet L’Équipe and ESPN say sources have confirmed the 28-year-old Brazilian superstar is one of the players who tested positive ... along with his PSG teammates Angel Di Maria and Leo Paredes.
All 3 men were recently spotted out in Ibiza after PSG's August 23 loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League final.
PSG has issued a statement on the situation saying, "Three [PSG] players are confirmed positive after a Sars CoV2 test and have undergone the appropriate health protocols."
"All players and staff will continue to be tested over the next few days."
Three @PSG_English players are confirmed positive after a Sars CoV2 test and have undergone the appropriate health protocols.
All players and staff will continue to be tested over the next few days.
The team has been off since the loss in the finals -- but are scheduled to pick back up on Sept. 10.
Neymar was in hot water last month for breaking COVID protocol when he swapped jerseys with Leipzig defender Marcel Halstenberg following their August 18 game.
Players have been banned from the jersey swap -- and there were fears Neymar would be blocked from competing against Bayern Munich in the final, but he ultimately was allowed to play.
Touching tribute from Atlanta Braves star Marcell Ozuna ... the OF flashed a "Wakanda Forever" arm sign in the middle of his historic game Tuesday -- all to honor the late Chadwick Boseman.
The scene at Fenway Park was pretty moving ... while Ozuna was rounding the bases after his 3rd home run of the game, he crossed his arms and pointed to the sky to pay respects to Boseman, who tragically died last week after a battle with colon cancer.
Marcell Ozuna honored Chadwick Boseman after his third home run of the night.
The gesture was particularly meaningful given how HUGE of a night Ozuna was having ... Marcell became the first National League player EVER to hit 3 HRs at Fenway.
Ozuna also added 6 RBI in the game ... as the Braves pounded the Red Sox, 10-3.
Of course, many others across the sports world have paid similar tributes to Boseman with the iconic "Black Panther" gesture ... LeBron James just did it before the Lakers' game Sunday.
"It actually felt like we had our black superhero and nobody could touch us," LeBron said of Boseman. "To lose that, it's sad in our community."
In another cool sports world tribute to the legendary actor ... it was announced this week that Boseman's portrayal of Jackie Robinson in the iconic "42" movie is set to be re-released in theaters this month.
8:53 AM PT -- Brittany is sharing some more behind-the-scenes looks from the couple's special day, saying, "On a day that was meant to celebrate you, you turned it into celebrating us."
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"You made this day perfect, you took my entire breath away and I could not have imagined anything better.
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"Cheers to spending our lifetime together and an inseparable bond."
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Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Patrick Mahomes wasn't the only one in his household to get a massive ring on Tuesday ... the superstar QB just proposed to his longtime GF, Brittany Matthews, with a diamond that's bigger than her knuckle!!!
Mahomes surprised his lady with a floral arrangement and bright signs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City after getting his Super Bowl ring ... and Brittany's ring might be even more impressive.
Since 24-year-old Mahomes just signed the fattest contract in NFL history -- he signed a $503 MILLION extension -- it shouldn't come as a surprise that he splurged on the jewelry.
Unclear on how much he paid for it, but by the looks of it ... it wasn't cheap.
Of course, the couple has been together since their high school days ... and have been pretty much inseparable ever since.
25-year-old Matthews -- a pro fitness trainer -- has been one of Mahomes' biggest supporters since day one and definitely made sure fans heard her cheers all throughout the Chiefs' Super Bowl run this past season.
Speaking of ... Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs teammates finally got their championship rings for the 2019 season just before the proposal ... and they're pretty spectacular.
The champs held a special social-distanced celebration on the Arrowhead Stadium field on Tuesday ... receiving their rings for their Super Bowl LIV win over the San Francisco 49ers.
The rings -- made by Jostens -- feature the Chiefs logo (made of 60 diamonds) and 2 Lombardi trophies (made with marquise-cut diamonds) on the top ... and includes 16 rubies to signify 10 AFC West Division titles and 6 playoff appearances under head coach Andy Reid.
There are also 50 diamonds surrounding the design, which represent the 50 years since the team's first Super Bowl title.
The sides feature the SBLIV logo and player names and numbers -- and even "142.2" to honor Arrowhead's record-setting decibel rating.
The inside of the rings are just as special -- they feature the logos and scores of all KC's games throughout the playoffs ... and each recipient's autograph.
The team captured the moment Mahomes put his ring on for the first time ... and you could see the dude's smile pouring out from behind his mask!!
In this powerful scene, Artis Twyman -- the Rams' Director of Communications -- brings the video to McVay because he thinks it's important for the head coach to see.
"His kids are in the back," Twyman explains while showing McVay the August 23 incident which took place in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
8/23/20
Raysean White via TMX.news
McVay, astonished, says to Twyman -- "That is awful. That makes me sick."
McVay discussed the possibility of canceling practice the next day in the wake of the shooting ... but ultimately held a normal practice.
The team did hold a team meeting to discuss the shooting.
Of course, many NFL teams did cancel their scheduled workouts so players could take action after the shooting ... including the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and more.
The L.A. Chargers -- also featured on "Hard Knocks" -- canceled a scrimmage after the shooting and the announcement from head coach Anthony Lynn was also featured on the show.
"We're not going to scrimmage today," Lynn said. "This football team is committed to fighting for a championship and social justice."
Tony Gonzalezis predicting BIG THINGS for Tom Brady's squad in 2020 -- telling TMZ Sports he's already got 'em pegged as early Super Bowl contenders!
Of course, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are pretty loaded on offense -- with TB12 at the helm and stars like Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin catching passes.
"I think that whole team is gonna be AWESOME," Tony told us on his way out of Erewhon market in L.A. ... "They're gonna be real good."
The "NFL on FOX" star clearly believes the guys in "Tompa" have insane potential -- and he's super geeked to do the pregame breakdown for their season opener against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 13.
By the way, props to Tony for putting on his mask on the way out of the market ... NO ONE WANTS COVID TO RUIN FOOTBALL!!!!!
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Socrates Brito has reportedly elected to sit out the remainder of the 2020 MLB season ... after his brother tragically passed away from COVID-19.
27-year-old Brito had been spending his time at the team's alternate site after not making the roster at the beginning of the season ... and was part of the 60-man player pool eligible to be brought up.
MLB Network's Jon Heyman says Socrates' brother passed last week ... which sparked his decision to head home.
What's even scarier, Brito was diagnosed with COVID earlier this year .. but fortunately was able to make a recovery and report to the team in July.
The coronavirus pandemic has left a major impact on the MLB this season ... with several teams -- including the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals -- reporting outbreaks so far.
But, MLB has been able to continue to play most of its games ... and are still planning to complete the season.
